This invention relates to a system for projecting images on a surface such as a spherical shaped surface.
The projection of images on a surface is well known. In many cases the surface is either flat or with a slight curvature. To provide viewed images that appear more life like, artists have developed the concept of perspective. This concept was received by the public as a step forward as it more closely resembles what is actual being seen in three dimensions. When the object surface on which the image is projected is substantially spherical in shape, the images projected can resemble the natural geography of the Earth and be used as a learning tool. Topography and other aspects of the real world can be viewed with such a system. To make the viewed sphere more Earth like and realistic, rotation can be imparted to the sphere and one or more projectors used to project images on the sphere's surface. By using several projectors spaced around the sphere different images can be projected on different surface areas of the sphere to provide what might be considered a continuous surface image. To view the north and south pole portions of the sphere with the projected images thereon the sphere would be rotated towards the fixed observer or the observer would move to a proper viewing angle relative to the sphere's poles.